by Tanya Milne
‘It will help you get stronger so we can go back for your family.’
‘We need to go back tonight. There’s simply no possible way that I can stay here while they’re in jail…waiting to be executed.’
Jet’s face paled until he appeared as white as the clouds hanging low in the sky.
‘We can go back soon, together. But you’re not strong enough today. And besides, we don’t have a plan.’
Heat flushed my body, which was tinged with a fever. ‘It’s best you stop bossing me around. I can and will go back tonight, and you don’t have to come with me.’
Jet mumbled angry words under his breath as he stood. He strode back and forth, hands behind his dark head of hair. ‘If we go back tonight, we’ll be sitting ducks. Those foul creatures won’t waste any time attacking again. And even if we make it to the mainland, Orpheus will be waiting for us.’
‘I don’t care,’ I said, sounding like a completely different person. I placed my uneaten sandwich on the table beside me. ‘I can’t sit here, eating a bloody sandwich, knowing what is happening to my parents.’
Jet stopped pacing. ‘Can you at least give it a day or two? Your family will be okay for a few days, and that will give you some time to recover your strength.’
A red-hot energy burned through me. I stood and locked eyes with Jet.
‘I’m fine, but my family – their execution is probably already being planned.’
Jet winced, but he didn’t back down. ‘You’re not strong enough.’
‘Stop telling me what I can and can’t do,’ I said, trying my hardest to prove I was strong enough by producing fire in my hands. But a few sparks were all I could manage.
Jet raised an eyebrow at me. Our stand-off was interrupted by Boy, who bounded towards us from the cliffs.
‘Boy!’ I said, dropping down and taking him in my arms.
Boy nuzzled me before standing back and tilting his head to Jet.
‘What is it, Boy?’ said Jet, his body tensing.
Jet let out a deep, low growl.
‘What’s wrong?’ I asked.
‘He must have seen something,’ said Jet, grabbing his binoculars and striding straight towards the cliffs, Boy behind him.
‘Okay then,’ I said before running after Jet, only to find that my legs were not strong enough to support me. I staggered forward.
What’s happening to me?
The answer came in the pain searing my cuts: the creatures had infected me somehow…made me angry – turned me weak.
Growling, I straightened my back and stepped forward. Using what strength I had, I slowly made my way to where Jet and Boy lay hidden in the rocks. I crawled in beside Jet and took in the cove below us. My heart did a jump-start as I saw not one, but two coastguard boats travelling through the choppy waves towards the shore.
I scanned the beach for where our boats were normally hidden, but they were nowhere to be seen.
‘Don’t worry,’ said Jet quietly. ‘Even if they make it to shore, they won’t find the boats.’
‘Where are they?’ I asked, my breath shortening as I made out the familiar form of Max, who stood at the bow of the larger of the two coastguard boats, barking his instructions to the crew.
‘I tucked them into the trees at the other end of the beach – and camouflaged them.’
‘With magic?’
Jet shot me a wry grin.
‘It won’t stop him,’ I whispered, my vision fading for a moment. ‘He won’t stop until he finds me.’
Jet’s eyes narrowed before he turned back to the boat, his body stiffening.
‘That’s Max?’
‘The one and only,’ I said, and anger flared inside me again.
Sweat bubbled on Jet’s forehead. I wasn’t the only one who had been damaged by the sick and twisted Max.
‘You okay?’ I asked as Jet shuffled against the rocks.
‘I…will be.’
‘He tortured you, didn’t he?’
Jet let out a small sound and I found his hand, held it tight.
Inside me, something shifted. The shock of what had happened last night wore off. I was left with an inferno of anger scorching my body, mind and soul.
‘Time for payback, don’t you think?’ I said.
Jet’s eyes opened wide. ‘Eva, we can’t…’
‘Why not? After the things he’s done, he deserves it.’
‘You…can’t mean that?’
‘I’ve never meant anything more.’ I glanced back to Max, never having wanted to wipe the smug look from his face more than I did in that moment.
‘We can’t use magic like that. It would change you.’
‘I don’t care,’ I said, the truth igniting something new – something dark – inside me.
‘Well, I care about you, and that’s not the right way to go about things.’
I laughed, louder than I should have. Max glanced up towards us.
Jet swore under his breath. In moments, his mist hid us.
‘Are you going to help me or not?’ I said, wondering whether I’d have the energy to conjure up a fireball and set Max on fire.
‘No, I’m not going to help you, and you’re not going to do anything stupid.’
‘Come on, Jet. It’ll feel good.’
Inside me was a thirst for performing a dark act.
‘What’s going on with you?’ he asked.
‘Oh, I don’t know – this sicko and his boss want to kill my family and you, and they most definitely want to kill me. And I happen to be over it. I’ve waited long enough to use my magic and nothing, not even you, is going to stop me now.’
‘Eva – you can’t use magic like that. You won’t be a good…white witch anymore.’
I gazed at Jet; he was so close I could hear his unsteady breathing.
‘I don’t care.’
He gasped. ‘You can’t be serious.’
‘I’ve never been more serious. When Orpheus took my family, he declared war. And I am not going to stand around any longer, waiting for someone else to decide my fate. Enough is enough.’
‘Slow down, Eva – when you’re stronger, you can use the magic you know and I can teach you more. Together, we can save your family and you won’t have turned into a…’
‘Black witch,’ I said.
He nodded.
‘But what if I want to? What if I want to learn the ways of dark magic? What if I don’t care what happens to me, so long as I save my family?’
Jet blinked quickly. ‘You can’t mean that. You don’t understand what you’re saying. Once you’ve used your magic for dark reasons, you won’t be the same person.’
‘I don’t want to be the same weak and trusting person. That person got her heart broken, over and over again. She was in danger all the time. She trusted that somehow everything would work out in the end. Well, you know what, it doesn’t. That person I used to be, she’s dead.’
Jet opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, staring at me as if I were a stranger.
I softened my voice. ‘Teach me dark magic.’
‘What! No way, Eva. Stop talking like this.’
I glanced back to the two coastguard boats down below, which were being tossed around in the waves.
‘You know dark magic. In fact, I seem to remember that when I first met you, you rather enjoyed practising black magic.’
‘That…that was a long time ago. I don’t do that now.’
‘And you’re not a bad person. So come on, what harm can come from it?’
‘I managed to stop…in time, before the damage was permanent. But even so, my heart is not pure like yours. I can’t change you.’
‘My heart is no longer pure, Jet, so don’t you see? It doesn’t matter.’
Jet groaned. ‘Of course it matters.’
I turned away from him, my mind racing.
‘That heart of yours has been damaged, and I’ve got no doubt that…arsehole Ezra…was the cause. But in time, Eva, you will h
eal.’
At the mention of Ezra’s name, I remembered the moment in my bedroom when Ezra proposed to me, promised to love me all of my life. Only hours later, he’d broken that promise and broken my heart…forever.
I took a deep breath and pasted on a smile before turning back to Jet. He was staring down below, a deep frown on his face as the larger boat made it closer to shore.
‘You know…’ I said, taking his hand.
Jet’s eyebrows drew together.
‘Do you remember when you asked me whether I wanted to be with you?’
‘What? No, Eva – that’s all in the past. We’re friends, remember?’
I brought his hand up to my mouth and kissed it.
‘Well, we don’t have to be just friends. I mean, if you teach me black magic, we can practise magic together – be together.’
Jet stared at me as though he didn’t recognise me at all. I shuffled closer and before he could move, I kissed him.
He pulled back. ‘What are you doing?’
I smiled and moved my body so that it was pressed against his. ‘I thought it was pretty obvious what I was doing. But let me try again…’
I leaned in and kissed him again, tasted the salty tang on his lips. I placed my hands around his body and pulled him close. For a moment, Jet was still. And then his body responded. He kissed me back with a lick of desire that left me breathless.
And then he stopped, pushed me gently away.
‘Not now…not like this.’
‘Don’t you want me?’ I said, lowering my head.
‘You’re not being fair. You chose to be with Ezra. But now all of a sudden you want me?’
‘Not all of a sudden. I’ve always wanted you. Now that I’m single, I’ve never wanted you more. Imagine what we could be together… Imagine the magic we could create.’
I shuffled forward and Jet shuffled backwards. ‘You know that I care for you, Eva, and that’s why I have to stop you, stop both of us from doing something that’s simply not right.’
A thick, ugly heat boiled inside of me.
‘You know what? I’m sick of people stopping me from getting what I want, from doing what I want. That ends right now. Nobody – not you, Max, Ezra or Orpheus – is ever going to tell me what to do again.’
‘Eva, what’s going on? What’s happening to you?’
I started to laugh as the truth dawned on me. ‘It seems the prophecy is coming true after all.’
‘What! No! You’re not becoming the Fire Queen.’
I gazed back towards the boats, narrowed my eyes and used the last of my strength to conjure up the power of the wind in my hands. Then I sent it directly into the ocean beside the larger coastguard boat, tipping the boat precariously onto its side and knocking Max into the waters.
‘I wouldn’t be so sure,’ I said, and then I turned and walked away from Jet, whose gaze flickered frantically between me and the chaos occurring in the cove below.
Jet and Boy returned to camp an hour later. Jet’s lips were pressed together, and he started preparing our dinner quietly.
Boy found me and dropped his head into my lap.
‘Did he drown?’ I asked, running my hand through the soft fur across the top of Boy’s massive head.
Jet froze before he turned to me. ‘Are you…serious?’
I raised an eyebrow. ‘Well, did he?’
‘No, they fished him out…eventually. They’ve gone, for now.’
‘That’s a shame,’ I said, resisting the urge to scratch the cuts that covered my torso.
He turned to me and met my eyes. ‘I’m worried about you. I think what those creatures did to you last night must be…changing you.’
I laughed. Boy stood back, tilted his head.
‘What’s so funny?’ asked Jet, walking to sit beside me.
‘I’m finally ready to embrace my full powers, and you blame the creatures who hurt me.’
‘Show me your cuts,’ he said.
My skin burned with pain, but I resisted the urge to raise my jumper and scratch them.
‘You know, Jet, you had your chance to see my skin. So, thanks, but I’ll pass.’
Jet groaned and ran his hand through his hair. ‘You don’t play fair. You chose to be with Ezra and you left me. Now you show up here, force yourself on me, because you want me to teach you dark magic.’
‘A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do,’ I said, barely recognising my voice.
Jet blinked at me as though I were an alien. ‘I think your cuts need a special type of treatment – they’re changing you.’
‘No, Orpheus changed me. Speaking of Orpheus, I’d like to pay him a little visit, say tonight.’
Jet rubbed his eyes. ‘You’re not ready.’
I turned from Jet, my voice cold. ‘No one is going to tell me what to do anymore, including you. I’m going back, whether you’re coming or not.’
‘You can barely walk,’ he said, his face set like stone.
‘I managed to use my magic, didn’t I?’
‘I bet that cost you dearly. You wouldn’t even make it down to the beach.’
The truth of his words stung, but I thought of my family and what they would be going through. ‘I don’t care if I have to crawl on my hands and knees. I can’t sit here knowing they might die.’
‘And neither can I, but you need a few days to recover from whatever is happening to you. And we need a plan.’
Heat flushed through my body, and a fever settled deep inside my skin.
‘I have a plan – find Orpheus and then kill him. Simple.’
Jet sat back as though he’d been slapped. ‘Eva…’
‘Don’t “Eva” me. This shit has gone on long enough. If I don’t stop him, he’ll kill my family and then he’ll go on and kill more innocent people.’
‘I know, we need to stop him, but killing him – that would make you just as bad as him. There are other ways – other ways that won’t change you.’
A blast of anger exploded like a bomb inside me.
‘Don’t you see? He has already changed me.’
Jet grabbed my hand, but I yanked it away.
‘Eva, you’re burning up. Please, let me help you. I know some plants in the bush that have magical healing properties. I’ll go now and find them.’
‘So I take it you’re not coming?’
Deep lines filled Jet’s forehead. ‘I’ll come with you – when you’re better. Not before.’
‘Suit yourself,’ I said, sitting back as sweat broke out on my skin.
‘Tell me you’re not going to try and leave now,’ he said, glancing around into the bushes. ‘It’s nearly dark and you’re sick.’
I kept my voice even. ‘Okay, I’ll wait – if you teach me black magic.’
Jet gasped. ‘That’s never going to happen.’
‘Well then, all bets are off.’
‘So…in your condition, you think you can make it back to the mainland, find Orpheus, save your family…’
‘Even if I die, I will know I’ve tried.’
Jet sat back uncomfortably, as though he’d sat on a bed of prickles. ‘Can you wait – two days? I’ll go and get those plants now. That will give you time to recover. Please, Eva. Your family will be okay for two days.’
I remembered the look in Elijah’s eyes after he’d been tortured for one night.
‘Sure,’ I said, not looking at him as I let my lie slip. There was no way he would let me go until he thought I was better. The truth was, I was never going to be better. The creatures may have accelerated my change, but my world was never going to be the same again after Orpheus arrested my family and Violet.
Jet stood and busied himself in the makeshift kitchen, then returned with a bowl of soup.
‘Please eat this while I go find those plants.’
I took the steaming bowl of soup, which made my stomach churn. When was the last time I’d eaten – on Ezra’s boat, before my eighteenth? Was that only yesterday?
Jet slid on his coat and grabbed a torch and backpack. ‘Eat and get some more sleep, okay? I’ll be back shortly.’
I put on my best smile, how I imagined I used to smile – when I’d still been a good person. ‘See you soon.’
Jet walked away and Boy followed. Jet stopped and turned at the edge of the clearing, his expression unreadable.
‘I’ll be fine,’ I said, sickly sweet.
He groaned before walking away. I listened to him move amongst the bushes until it was silent again. I placed my bowl of soup back on the table, then put on my shoes before standing and tottering to where my jacket was hanging. Within minutes, I was stumbling my way down onto the beach in search of the dinghy, finding the night still and bright.
The truth was, my body was burning up, walking was difficult and it was challenging to even keep my eyes open. But there was simply no way I could hide away for another minute. I had to go back to Melas and help my family, and nothing and no one was going to stop me.
Chapter Eight
The boat skimmed across the ocean, which was as still and flat as glass. The half-moon was rising in the sky, lighting my path and my return to Melas. My gaze darted around, searching for signs of the coastguard or the dark forces of nature. But for once, I was completely alone.
As the town of Melas came back into view, my mind skipped ahead to how I would start searching for my family. The truth was, I didn’t have a plan. I’d been so intent on getting back that I hadn’t stopped to think about how I would locate my family.
I wiped the sweat bubbling on my forehead. Every second, my energy grew weaker and the sickness that was growing inside me became stronger. I hated to admit it, but for the first time, I saw the sense in Jet’s words.
Glancing behind myself, I saw the cove was now hidden under darkness. Jet would get the shock of his life when he returned to camp to find me and my boat gone. I pictured his face as it transferred from shocked to mad as hell.
Turning back towards Melas I tried to organise my thoughts, which were shooting off in all directions. I knew my parents would be locked up, but where? I doubted they would be at the police station – the most obvious place. They could be held in the town hall, or perhaps locked up in Orpheus’s own house so he could keep a close eye on them.
